Based on my experience making caramel in cooking, it takes more than a few seconds.

How long would it take for 1 drop Denny?

Not exactly sure what you mean Fred, but assuming you mean 1 drop of wort, if I was to put that into an otherwise empty superheated pan I'd guess it would caramelize quickly, if not almost instantly. But that's a very different circumstance than in a kettle of liquid. Also, IIRC, you need exposure to O2 in order for things to caramelize. If I'm remembering correctly, that's a condition that won't be met in the bottom of a kettle of liquid.

So what are we, as homebrewers, trying to emulate by doing a separate caramel boil? Is this how scottish beers have traditionally been made or is there something that we can't acheive that commercial scottsh brewers can?

So what are we, as homebrewers, trying to emulate by doing a separate caramel boil? Is this how scottish beers have traditionally been made or is there something that we can't acheive that commercial scottsh brewers can?

The purpose is to emulate (not recreate) a long kettle boil. Even if caramelization can't take place in the kettle (and we still haven't settled that), by boiling down wort we can mimic some of the long boil flavors through caramelizing the wort in a separate, smaller kettle.

So what are we, as homebrewers, trying to emulate by doing a separate caramel boil? Is this how scottish beers have traditionally been made or is there something that we can't acheive that commercial scottsh brewers can?

The purpose is to emulate (not recreate) a long kettle boil. Even if caramelization can't take place in the kettle (and we still haven't settled that), by boiling down wort we can mimic some of the long boil flavors through caramelizing the wort in a separate, smaller kettle.

Ah. So how long of a boil are we talking about before we don't need the separate boil-down?

Good question....I've done a 5 hour boil and gotten some of those flavors. I don't know how long of a boil Traquair House does. Maybe Skotrat knows....he's the one who pretty much came up with the technique and popularized it.

Ah. So how long of a boil are we talking about before we don't need the separate boil-down?

a lot of hours, I'd guesstimate at least 4.

nd - you seem rather averse to doing the gallon boil down, but I'm not sure why? It works very, very well. Just keep an eye on it - amazingly, 2 gallons can boil over a 5gal pot when you turn your back

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